12.30 - 13.35

North Lake

11 Canada Geese

3 Goosander

7 Siskin with 2 Longtailed Tits, 2 Goldfinch & 1 Blue Tit at the far end of the Lake, opposite Bottom's Hall

Horse/Sheep paddock

43 Canada Geese

Main Lake

2 Mute Swans

2 Tufted Duck

5 Moorhen

9 Coot

1 Cormorant

14 Canada Geese

River Goyt

Grey Wagtail on the rocks beneath the Railway Bridge

2 Goosander above the weir

1 Dipper on rocks beneath the Roman Bridge

Windybottom Wood

1 RED KITE being buzzed by 2 Carrion Crow & a Magpie, watched for a couple of minutes before it headed off in the direction of Mellor Golf Course at 13.05

8 goosanders (6m,2f) on N lake (but only 1 male on my return). Plenty of coots, Canada geese and mallards on the main lake plus 9 cormorants, 4 moorhens, 4 tufted ducks and a single black headed gull. No sign of dippers or wagtails on the river even though the level is back to normal.

12.30 - 13.45 hrs

Very little about due to heavy rain, only bright spot being a pair of Little Grebe on the North Lake.

No sign of the Teal seen earlier in the week

13.15 to 15.10 hrs River very high & fast flowing

North Lake

3 Teal (2M 1F)

1 Moorhen

4 Cormorant

Sheep Paddock

93 Canada Geese

1 Grey Heron

Main Lake

15 Coot

11 Moorhen

1 Grey Heron

4 Tufted Duck (2M 2F)

3 Mute Swans (2 Adult 1 Juvenile)

19 Mallard (12M 7F)

3 Canada Geese

1 Buzzard

Elsewhere along the river

4 Grey Heron

2 Wren

1 Nuthatch

1 Jay

2 Goldcrest

11 Longtailed Tits in one flock

3 Blackbird

2 Coal Tit

4 Blue Tit

1 Goosander (F)

32 Woodpigeon

17 Magpies

7 Ring-necked Parakeets...first time seen at this location

-- Edited by Phil Panton on Monday 6th of November 2023 06:08:59 PM

My first visit for months and the first post on here for even longer. The main lake had 2 swans and a cygnet plus mallards, coots and tufted ducks in double figures but no cormorants or herons. The north lake had nothing on it. There were two dippers, one by the Roman bridge and the other by the mill bridge. Plenty of Canada geese on the fields.

13.15 - 15.00

2 Dipper on river from Bottom's Bridge

North Lake

Buzzard flying over field at the back of the lake

Main Lake

2M & 3F Goosander

49 Canada Geese

2 Adult & 1 Juvenile Mute Swan

Increase in numbers of Moorhen & Coot since last couple of visits

2 Mistle Thrush in Horse Paddock

1 Dipper on river under Railway Viaduct...river levels back to normal compared with previous 2 visits

1F Goosander downstream from Roman Bridge

1 Grey Heron further upstream from Roman Bridge

Otherwise very quiet

12.30 - 13.45...River Goyt levels high

North Lake

3 Mandarin Duck (2M 1F)

Main Lake

19 Canada Geese

2M Tufted Duck

7 Mallard (5M 2F)

3 Cormorant

4 Moorhen

5 Coot

Horse Paddock

3 Mistle Thrush

1 Song Thrush

2 Redwing

3 Carrion Crow

Along the river

5 Mallard (2M 3F)

1 Treecreeper

3 Blue Tits

2 Great Tits

2 Magpie

2 Carrion Crow

3 Blackbird

13.00 - 14.30

North Lake

Pair of Canada Geese

Female Blackcap

Main Lake

Pair of Mute Swans

3 Pair of Canada Geese with another 8 individuals

Horse Paddock

9 Jackdaw

43 Canada Geese

River Goyt

2 Grey Wagtail

Spent 20 minutes watching a Dipper to & fro from a particular location

Pair of Mandarin with additional single Male further along the river

Kestrel quartering the field near the railway tunnel close to Windybottom Farm, which was then joined by a Buzzard, which the Kestrel & a couple of Jackdaws proceeded to mob.

Interesting to see the comparison in size of the 2 raptors.

Speaking to a fellow birder who informed me that a Merlin had been seen on recent early mornings resting on the telegraph wires by the farm

11.15 - 12.45

Plenty of Hirundines over the Main Lake, but otherwise quiet

40+ Sand Martins

20+ House Martins

7 Swallow

I Dipper

I Grey Wagtail

1 Pied Wagtail

2 Chiffchaff seen 4 more singing

1M & 1F Mandarin Duck

2 Adult Mute Swan

No sign of Tufted Duck or Little Grebe on Main Lake

5 pairs of Canada Geese seem to have taken residence on North Lake

12.30 - 14.00

Highlights

North Lake

1 Adult Grey Heron

Horse Paddock

2 Juvenile Grey Heron

57 Canada Geese

1 Feral Barnacle Goose

Main Lake

2 Adult Mute Swans - no sign of Juveniles

8 Canada Geese

2M & 1F Tufted Duck

1 Little Grebe

4 Cormorant

Along the river

2 Yellow Wagtails

1 Pied Wagtail

4 Wren

2 Nuthatch

2 Chiffchaff (1 seen, 1 heard) in trees by railway tunnel at Windybottom Farm

1 Jay same location

1 Buzzard over same location

Ray Scally wrote:

---

 
There is a juvenile Mute Swan just turned up in Disley so this maybe one of the Roman Lakes birds.

---

Definitely no sign of them but i'll try & get down in the next day or so to see whether either of them are back

Phil Panton wrote:

---

12.30 - 14.00

North Lake

Pair of Grey Heron

2M & 1F Mandarin

1 Buzzard over

Main Lake

2 Adult Mute Swans - no sign of the Juveniles

M & F Tufted Duck

5 Cormorants

Along the river

2 Grey Wagtail on the far bank near the weir

M & F Goosander

M & F Mandarin

1 Treecreeper

2 Nuthatch

7 Longtailed Tits

3 Goldcrest

Plenty of Coal/Blue/Great Tits

3 Buzzard over Windybottom Farm

River quite high after recent rain so no perching rocks for Dipper available

---

12.30 - 14.00

North Lake

Pair of Grey Heron

2M & 1F Mandarin

1 Buzzard over

Main Lake

2 Adult Mute Swans - no sign of the Juveniles

M & F Tufted Duck

5 Cormorants

Along the river

2 Grey Wagtail on the far bank near the weir

M & F Goosander

M & F Mandarin

1 Treecreeper

2 Nuthatch

7 Longtailed Tits

3 Goldcrest

Plenty of Coal/Blue/Great Tits

3 Buzzard over Windybottom Farm

River quite high after recent rain so no perching rocks for Dipper available

11.30 - 13.00

Very quiet, perhaps the drop in temperature might have had something to do with it

North Lake

2 Cormorant

4 Canada Geese

1M & 1F Mallard

Main Lake

1M Goosander

2M & 1F Tufted Duck

6 Cormorant

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

23 Canada Geese - many coupling up & noisily disputing territories

Horse Paddock

38 Canada Geese

3 Goldfinch

1 Dipper on rocks beneath Railway Viaduct

1 Great Spotted Woodpecker drumming

11.30 - 13.30

North Lake

1 Kingfisher

2M & 3F Goosander

Main Lake

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swan

3 Cormorant

1M & 1F Tufted Duck

Noisy Canada Geese definitely pairing up & marking their territory

1 Buzzard over the Horse Paddock being mobbed by 3 Carrion Crow

1 Dipper on the rocks underneath the Railway Viaduct

1 Buzzard over Railway Tunnel at Windybottom Farm

Plenty of Nuthatch, Blue, Great, Coal & Longtailed Tit about along with Wren & Song Thrush - Spring is definitely on its way

12.30 - 14.30

North Lake

1 Kingfisher

2M & 1F Mallard

Horse Paddock

63 Canada Geese

1 Buzzard

Main Lake

7 Cormorant

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swan

12 Canada Geese

3M & 1F Tufted Duck

11 Coot

3 Moorhen

Mobile flock of 10/12 Siskin/Lesser Redpoll in trees next to Main Lake locked gate - was only able to id 5 Siskin & 1 Lesser Redpoll

Railway Bridge

1 Pied Wagtail

1 Dipper on rocks upstream from Roman Bridge

14.00 - 16.00

Highlights

North Lake 90% frozen & deserted

Main Lake 50% frozen

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

1M & 2F Goosander

Horse Paddock

1 Mistle & 1 Song Thrush

1 Dipper on rocks just before Roman Bridge & 1 Kingfisher flew under the bridge heading down stream whilst viewing the Dipper

River level now down to normal

13.00 - 14.30

Highlights...

Bottoms Bridge

1 Dipper

North Lake

1 F Goosander

Horse Paddock

21 Redwing

5 Mistle Thrush

2 Song Thrush

5 Goldfinch

Main Lake

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

5 Cormorant

Otherwise quiet again but river levels have dropped to expose more perching stones

13.00 - 15.00

Highlights...few that they were

North Lake

1 Moorhen

Main Lake

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swan

5 Cormorants

13 Coot

5 Moorhen

Horse Paddock

84 Canada Geese

3 Mistle Thrush

2 Song Thrush

& that was it, very quiet overall, Goyt river still very high

13.00 - 15.00

North Lake

M & F Goosander

I Cormorant

4M & 4F Mandarin Ducks - 3M in 'full sail' trying to impress the ladies

Main Lake

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

3 Cormorant

2M & 1F Tufted Duck

2 Mistle Thrush over heading into the trees at the bottom of the Horse Paddock

Kestrel over the Railway Bridge

otherwise, very quiet, river still very high

12.30 - 14.30

North Lake ice free but water levels high

1 Grey Heron

2M & 1F Goosander

Female Sparrowhawk over

Main Lake approx. 80% frozen

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

2M & 1F Tufted Duck

1 Cormorant over

42 Blackheaded Gull

1 Common Gull

1 Dipper on far bank singing for 10 minutes just prior to bend in the river at Strawberry Hill but very few perches midstream due to the height of the water. Believe the river had actually breeched here a couple of days ago & the path was flooded

09.10-11.15

1+ Kingfisher, Dipper, 9 Mandarin Duck, 3 Goosander, 35 Redwing, 3 Mistle Thrush, Goldcrest, 2 Tufted Duck, 4 Mute Swan, 3 Nuthatch, Great Spotted Woodpecker, 3 Cormorant, 2 Pied Wagtail, 5 Stock Dove, Grey Heron. 

12.00 - 13.45

North Lake

Pair of Mandarin Duck

Kingfisher again favouring far corner opposite Bottoms Hall with 7 Longtailed Tits, 2 Goldcrest, 1 Wren & 1 Grey Wagtail favouring the same location

Buzzard over the horse paddock

Main Lake

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans

2 Male & 1 Female Tufted Duck

River Goyt had risen by at least a foot with all the recent rain, so no chance of Dipper but did get first Grey Heron of the year

14.00 - 15.45

North Lake a good 90% frozen over with the Main Lake approximately 75-80%

Highlights included

1 Kingfisher far end of North Lake opposite Bottoms Hall on only piece of open water

7 Redwing in fields at Old Hall Lane

1 Woodcock over heading in direction of Linnet Clough

3 Buzzard over Horse Paddock alighting in woods at far end of field

2 Adult & 2 Juvenile Mute Swans on Main Lake along with 1 Male Tufted Duck

2 Dipper on river close to Railway Bridge

1 Female Grey Wagtail

14 Mandarin Duck (9 Male 6 Female) just before Roman Bridge

3 Female Goosander at Strawberry Hill bend in the river 

Late afternoon visit, 26 species in total:
Wigeon 1
Canada Goose 15
Mute Swan 4
Mandarin 4 (3m)
Mallard 44
Goosander 7 (1m)
Woodpigeon 5
Moorhen 9
Coot 4
Cormorant 2
Grey Heron 1
Buzzard 1
Magpie 5
Carrion Crow 3
Jackdaw 50 over
Blue tit 3
Great Tit 2
Goldcrest 2
Wren 4
Dipper 1 - flew past on river, I think my first here.
Mistle Thrush 1
Song Thrush 1
Redwing 2
Blackbird 7
Robin 3

Yes that would have been me Phil,

Away from the lake I didn't see a lot either. Great Spotted Woodpecker, Wren, 2 Song Thrushes and a gathering of Woodpigeons as dusk fell.

Cheers, John

Think I walked past you John at around 4.30ish as you were viewing the main lake.

Have to admit everywhere was quiet, wandered up to the railway tunnel at Windybottom farm & back

& hardly saw anything other than a couple of Blackbirds & a Robin, certainly the quietist I've ever known it

Going past the non-main lakes without pausing at dusk, there were 9 Mandarin and a grey heron accompanied by a noisy kingfisher

Today 13.00 - 14.45

2 smart male Wigeon on the main lake with possibly 2 females

1 Dipper on the river

1 Buzzard in the horse paddock

1 Heron

3 Jay

3 Nuthatch

20+ flock of Goldfinch

2 Greenfinch

1 Cormorant

2 Redwing

15.30 - 17.00 walk to Windybottom Farm & back

Very quiet on both lakes, handful of Coot & Canada Geese

1 Buzzard over the horse paddock

2 pairs of Bullfinch

I female Blackcap

1 Whitethroat

7 Grey Wagtail (1 pair feeding a juvenile on rocks below the Roman Bridge & 1 pair feeding 2 juveniles on rocks before the railway tunnel near Windybottom Farm)

1 female Goosander

3 male & 2 female Mandarin

14.00 - 15.30 walk to Windybottom farm & back

1 Kingfisher at North Lake

1 Great Crested Grebe on Main Lake along with usual Coots, Moorhens & Canada Geese

Good numbers of House & Sand Martin over the main lake with small numbers of Swift & a couple of Swallows over the horse paddock

2 Dipper on the river - 1 on rocks underneath railway arch & 1 in flight near Roman Bridge

4 Grey Wagtails on the river - 1 on rocks beneath railway arch, 1 on rocks by Roman Bridge & 2 at probable nest site